Condenser for clothes drier



April 1, 1958 P. E. GELDHOF CONDENSER FOR CLOTHES DRIER Filed Dct. 19. 1953 United States CONDENSER FR CLOTHES DRHER Peter Eduard Geldhof, Benton Harbor, Mich., assigner,

by mesne assignments, to Whirlpool Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application Uctober 1?, 1953, Serial No. 386,925

1 Claim. (Cl. Sti- 75) The present invention relates to a condenser for clothes drier` andY more particularly' relates to a condenser for dehumidifying and cleaning air` to be heated and circulated into andl through a clothes drier or the like.

Although devices incorporating the principles of the present invention are devices of general utility and general applicability, as will be clearY from an understanding thereof by reading the following detailed' specification and inspecting` the drawings, devices incorporating the principles of the'present invention are particularly useful in conjunction with clothes driers and the like and particularly useful with combined clothes washers and driers.

Clothes d'riers generally and clothes driers of size and design for domestic use specifically, having hot air drying systems, include means forheatingthe air and passing it into the drier and exhausting the'spent air from the drier. While hot air is circulating through the drier it picks up moisture and lint from the clothes or other cloth materiai, objects orthe like-being'dricd in the drier.

When this moist air carrying lint or theY like is exhaustedfrom the drier, it is necessary tc either filter the to at least remove the lint therefrom or to vent the air to the atmosphere outside ofthe building containing the drier, or both. Withoutsuch external venting, the room invwhichV the drier is situated? has the air therein substantially filled with lint. Further, in many instances the room wherein the drier is situated is relatively small or a number of driers are situated there with the result that when air is exhausted'fromthe drier, even with the lint filtered out therefrom, the room is made uncomfortably hot and humid causingworking conditions for the operators of the driers to be most disagreeable.`

By the present invention these diiiiculties aresubstantially obviatecl and there is provided a new and improved means for removing the moisture and/or lint from the spent air exhausted from the drier. Therefore, an important` object ofthe'present-invention is to provide means for* substantially dehumidifying and substantially cleaning or washing air exhanstedfrom a clothes drier or the like.

Another important object ofthe present invention is to provide a condenser or the like in combination with a clothes drier orthe like, and'including an' air chamber or channel having a coolant jacket'thereabout and meansr to feed? coolant thereto.

Still another object of the present inventionv is to` provide. a newan'd improved condenser for dehnmidifying and/ orwashingior. otherwise` cleaning air from a clothes drier'or the like to substantially removeV ther moisture and lint` therein: contained;V

Still another object of the present invention isto provide a new and improved condenser: for the air: system of aihot air-drier or the likefandin'cludinganfair'channel having: heat'. conductive walls and ai coolant` jacket' thereabouttofcool saidy Valls and to` therebyfdehumidify air passingthrough: said air channel;

Still another object off the present invention is to prorde a Condenser or the like in combination with a com- 2,828,550 Patented Apr. 1, 1958 binedr clothes washer and drier unit to substantially dehumidify and clean air exhausted from the drier unit and to feed air to a heating unit prior to repassage of the air into the drier unit.

Still other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will readily present themselves from the following detail description of the scopey of thev present invention and a preferred embodiment thereof, from the claim, and from the accompanying drawings in which 'there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in which each and every detail shown is fully and completely disclosed, in which like reference numerals refer to like' parts, and in which:

Figure l is a rear or back side View of a combined Washer and drier and condenser incorporating' thel principles of the present invention and having the back cover removed therefrom and portions of certain parts are broken away to more clearly illustrate certain features thereof; and

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the' condenser from the combinedl structure of Figure l as taken substantially along the line H-II- of Figure- 1.

The'preferred form of the present invention illustrated on the drawings includes a combinedy washing and drying machine lllhaving a Washing compartment 11 and a drying compartment 12 which' is disposed above the washing compartment 11 and spaced therefrom by a controlvv and drive compartment 13v positioned between the washing and drying compartments 11i and 12. The mechanism is enclosed within a'housing or supporting casing 14 including side walls 15 and 16 and extreme top and bottom walls 17 and 18 in addition to an appropriately congurated front wall (not shown) and a back wall which has been removed to more clearly illustrate the features of the present invention. The mechanism is further preferably supported above the floor by adjustable legs and feet 19 and Ztl which may be adjusted to levell the machine as supported above the'iloor line 21.

The Washing compartmentr 11' containsv aY suitable clothes washing mechanism or the like which has not been illustrated here since it forms no part of the present invention and in the drawings-of Figure l is hidden by a washing compartment rear partition wall 22.

After the clothes have been washed and/or rinsed by the washing mechanism in the washing compartment 11, they are removed therefrom and deposited in a drier drum 23 which is rotatably mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis extending from front to rear in the drier compartment 12 and illustrated by the full circle phantom line.

A bulkhead 24 substantially encloses the rear portion of the drier` drum and drier compartment 12 andL the control and operating compartment 13 and is substantially in registration with the partition wall 22 ata' junctionZS therebetween. The partition Wall 22 and the bulkhead 24 are preferably structural members which aid in supporting the various members and'mechanisms of the machine 10.

The drier mechanism is preferably operative to effect dryinv of the clothes carried in the suitably rotatably supported drum 2li-by hot air or the like suppliedfroma duct or conduit member 26 which includes and contains a suitable air heater arrangement 27. Air from the duct 26 is fed through an'aperture ZS'in the bulkheadandinto the drum 23 preferably through a perforated rear wall on the drum. The duct Z6' is joined' tothe bulkhead 24 so that the'passage therethrough mates with the aperture 28 for air inlet into the drier compartmentv 17.E asf at 29.

Asl the air circulatestlirough the drier drum 23r and drier compartment 12` over the clothes'contained therein it picks up a substantial quantity ofv moisturev andiA lint and the like from the tumbling cloth articles or the like.

J When the hot air is substantially spent as it circulates through the drum 23 it is exhausted therefrom again preferably through the perforated rear wall of the drum and through an outlet or exhaust aperture 30 in the bulkhead and into an exhaust duct or conduit or the like 31 jwhich is secured to the bulkhead with its passage in 'registration with the aperture 3i) as at 32.

The impeller 33 draws air through the exhaust duct T31 and forces the same into a condenser 34 which washes, cleans and dehumidiiies the air in accordance with the 'principles of the present invention and directs the air to aclean air feed duct 35 which is in direct communica tion with the duct 26 containing the heater 27.

The impeller 33 is preferably a centrifugal type fan or air pump or the like which has the air fed substantially :for c'orotation.

axially into the center region thereof where a rotor 36 has a plurality'of impeller blades 37 mounted thereon The volute shaped housing 38 for the ,air mpeller mechanism is properly proportioned and channels therefor.

contgurated to direct the air through the above described The rotor and impeller blades are driven by a drive motor or the like 39 which is suitably mounted in the controller and drive section 13 and is coupled to the impeller by a drive belt or the like 4t) and appropriate pulleys 41 and 42 suitably secured to the shafts of the motor 39 and rotor 36, respectively.

This same belt 4l) also engages an idler pulley 43 to drive ,Y the same and a shaft 44 to which it is secured. The

shaft 44 is suitably supported and journaled within the drive and control compartment 13 and carries additional kpulleys 45 thereon for corotation therewith. One of the `pulleys 45 is coupled to the drier drum 23 through an- Vother belt or the like 46 whereby rotation or power driving of the motor 39 etects rotation of the drum 23 Y on suitable support members such as a journal or bearing 47 on the bulkhead 24.

By energization of the motor the drum 23 is rotated for tumbling the clothes and the rotor of the fan 33 is driven for driving air through the substantially closed air circulatory system herein above described. As the air from the fan 33 is passed to the condenser 34 it enters an air chamber or air channel 48 from the fan outlet duct 49. While passing through the air chamber 48 of the condenser 34 the air is substantially cooled to dehu- .rmidify the same and remove a substantial portion of the moisture therefrom, and washed or cleaned by liquid running through the air.

Alow flattened duct work or the like having open upper The air chamber or channel 48 is a substantially holand lower ends 50 and 51 with front and rear walls 52 Y and side walls 53 (Figure l) formed of a heat conduc- Htive material such as sheet metal or the like which may be galvanazed or the like to prevent corrosion thereof when formed of a corrodable material such as ironor material.

steel, or which may be formed of some non-corrodable These walls 52 and 53 laterally close the air channel 48 for a substantial distance through the height of the condenser unit 34. Further, the chamber or channel 48 is in substantial registration with the passage in the outlet duct 49 from the exhaust fan.

A coolant jacket or the like 54 surrounds the air channel 4S and is deiined by front and rear walls 55 and side .-walls 56 in addition to the front and rear Walls 52 and aside walls 53 of the air channel 48.

Flanges on the A .flanged aperture 59 in the coolant jacket 54 adja- IVcentto the lower flange S8 on the air channel walls 52 mates with a liquid coolant inlet pipe or tube 60 to provide for admitting liquid coolant into the coolant jacket 54. The joint between the'mating flanged aperture 59 and inlet pipe or tube 60 is preferably substantially sealed to prevent coolant leakage therebetween. Liquid coolant such as cold water or the like is controllably supplied from any convenient source such as a household pressurized supply through the inlet pipe or tube 68 and controlled by a control valve 61 or by any other convenient control means such as a valve which may be located at the front of the machine or tied in with controls for the drier so that liquid coolant ilows while the drier is operating. The liquid coolant flows into the coolant jacket 54 and fills the coolant chamber defined by the coolant jacket walls to a height substantially close to the upper flanges 57 on the air channel walls where apertures 62 near the top of the air channel walls admit the liquid coolant into the air channel to project in streams across the channel covering substantially the entire area thereof, as illustrated by the location of .the apertures 62 in Figure 2.

Liquid coolant ows through the coolant jacket 54 and cools the walls 52 and 53 to eifect a substantial cooling of the air passing through the air channel or chamber 48 thereby reducing its ability to carry water vapor or the like and thus condensing a substantial portion of water vapor, etc. therefrom. As the liquid ows through the apertures 62 into the air channel 48 it is still cold and further aids in cooling the air passing through the channel as exhausted from the drier mechanism. In addition, the cold water or the like washes and cleans the air and catches the lint and dust in the air to remove the lint and dust and the like from the air. l

As the air and coolant flows from the bottom 51 ofthe air channel 48 it enters into the condenser exhaust and drain chamber 63 where an aperture or the like 64 in one of the side walls 56 of the condenser is in registration with the drier air duct 35. The air flowing into the duct 35 is thus substantially dry clean air which has been washed and cleaned and dehumiditied in the condenser 34 in accordance with the principles of the present invention. The liquid coolant entering the condenser discharge or exhaust chamber 63 falls to a tapered or inclined bottom 65 where it runs to a drain 66. The bottom 65 of the condenser drain and exhaust chamber 63 is preferably formed in an obtuse angle with its apex substantially at the center of the condenser to drain the liquid coolant carrying the lint, dust and the like toward the drain 66. The liquid coolant carrying the lint and dust `is removed from the drain 66 by a pump 67 or like mechanism and fed to an outlet 68 for discharge to any convenient drainage or sewage system.

The pump 67 may be of any convenient form of pump preferably such as a centrifugal pump or the like and is driven by a pulley or the like 69 fixed to the pump shaft .for corotation therewith and coupled to a pulley on the main idler shaft 44 by a belt or the like 70.

From the foregoing it will be readily observed by the principles of the present invention that there is provided a new and improved condenser of generally utility but particularly adapted for combination with a combined washer and hot air drier or the like. It will also be observed that numerous modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the true spirit and scope of the novel concepts and principles of the present invention. I, therefore, intend to cover all such modications and variations as fall within the true spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the principles of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

A clothes drier comprising a rotary clothes drum rotatably housed in a cabinet, a substantially closed air circulation conduit in said cabinet leading from the drum and returning thereto, an air Washing and cooling chamber having vertical walls dening a vertical air passageway in said air circulating conduit, said passageway being unobstructed, a coolant jacket having enclosing Walls and closed at its upper and lower ends with at least one of the walls of the jacket being a vertical wall of the cooling chamber, orices adjacent the upper end of the common vertical wall of the jacket for the projection of substantially horizontal streams of coolant to cover substantially the entire area of the cooling chamber to engage and cool and wash the air, means for forcing the air through said conduit into the top of the air chamber 10 and out of the bottom, and means for supplying coolant under pressure to the jacket adjacent the lower end thereof.

References cited in the me of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 536,677 Wiselogel Apr. 2, 1895 963,510 Brucke July 5, 1910 2,453,859 Pugh Nov. 16, 1948 2,590,295 Constantine Mar. 25, 1952 2,607,209 Constantine Aug. 19, 1952 

